My interest in coin collecting developed when I was about ten years old. My aunt gave me a huge jar of Lincoln head pennies to sift thru. I didn't know to much about coins at the time. I was just looking for anything that had an old date on it. I ended up with about two dozen pennies most were dated prior to 1943. This was the start of a lifetime ongoing hobby.

In my younger days coins were easy to find. Every week something would turn up by just checking my pocket change. A buffalo nickel, an old wheat head penny or a Franklin half dollar. As the years rolled by and the number of avid coin collectors for U.S. coins increased by leaps and bounds and the coins that were so plentiful virtually disappeared.

In recent years I have purchased coins both for investment and for my personal collection. Usually by visiting coin shows or coin shops.

If you are a coin collector that purchases desired coins for your collection, you should know that finding the coins you desire is easier today more than ever. Purchasing rare coins today has become much easier and more widespread thanks to internet auction sites such as Ebay. You can browse coin listings in the comfort of home, decide how much you are willing to spend and have the coins delivered right to your door.

Stop back soon. This lens is going to be updated on a regular basis.

Monday, Nov 24, 2008

Gold - $803.70
Silver - $9.75
Platinum - $836.50

Information on the Lincoln head penny mintages was provided by USA Coin Blog

Date and Mint - Number Minted
1909 P - 72,702,618
1909 VDB - 27,995,000
1909 S - 1,825,000
1909 SVDB - 484,000
1910 P - 146,801,218
1910 S - 6,045,000
1911 P - 101,177,787
1911 D - 12,672,000
1911 S - 4,026,000
1912 P - 68,153,060
1912 D - 10,411,000
1912 S - 4,431,000
1913 P - 76,532,352
1913 D - 15,804,000
1913 S - 6,101,000
1914 P - 75,238,432
1914 D - 1,193,000
1914 S - 4,137,000
1915 P - 29,092,120
1915 D - 22,050,000
1915 S - 4,833,000
1916 P - 131,833,677
1916 D - 35,956,000
1916 S - 22,510,000
1917 P - 196,429,785
1917 D - 55,120,000
1917 S - 33,620,000
1918 P - 288,104,634
1918 D - 47,830,000
1918 S - 34,680,000
1919 P - 392,021,000
1919 D - 57,154,000
1919 S - 139,760,000
1920 P - 310,165,000
1920 D - 49,280,000
1920 S - 46,220,000
1921 P - 39,157,000
1921 S - 15,274,000
1922 - NO - P - Number Minted Unknown
1922 D - 7,160,000
1923 P - 74,723,000
1923 S - 8,700,000
1924 P - 75,178,000
1924 D - 2,520,000
1924 S - 11,696,000
1925 P - 139,949,000
1925 D - 22,580,000
1925 S - 26,380,000
1926 P - 157,088,000
1926 D - 28,020,000
1926 S - 4,550,000
1927 P - 144,440,000
1927 D - 27,170,000
1927 S - 14,276,000
1928 P - 134,116,000
1928 D - 31,170,000
1928 S - 17,266,000
1929 P - 185,262,000
1929 D - 41,730,000
1929 S - 50,148,000
1930 P - 157,415,000
1930 D - 40,100,000
1930 S - 24,286,000
1931 P - 19,396,000
1931 D - 4,480,000
1931 S - 866,000
1932 P - 9,062,000
1932 D - 10,500,000
1933 P - 14,360,000
1933 D - 6,200,000
1934 P - 219,080,000
1934 D - 24,446,000
1935 P - 245,338,000
1935 D - 47,000,000
1935 S - 38,702,000
1936 P - 309,637,569
1936 D - 40,620,000
1936 S - 29,130,000
1937 P - 309,179,320
1937 D - 50,430,000
1937 S - 34,500,000
1938 P - 156,696,734
1938 D - 20,010,000
1938 S - 15,180,000
1939 P - 316,479,520
1939 D - 15,160,000
1939 S - 52,070,000
1940 P - 586,825,872
1940 D - 81,390,000
1940 S - 112,940,000
1941 P - 887,039,100
1941 D - 128,700,000
1941 S - 92,360,000
1942 P - 657,828,600
1942 D - 206,698,000
1942 S - 85,590,000
1943 P - 684,628,670
1943 D - 217,660,000
1943 S - 191,550,000
1944 P - 1,435,400,000
1944 D - 430,578,000
1944 S - 282,760,000
1945 P - 1,040,515,000
1945 D - 226,268,000
1945 S - 181,770,000
1946 P - 991,665,000
1946 D - 315,690,000
1946 S - 198,100,000
1947 P - 190,555,000
1947 D - 194,750,000
1947 S - 99,000,000
1948 P - 317,570,000
1948 D - 172,637,000
1948 S - 81,735,000
1949 P - 217,775,000
1949 D - 153,132,000
1949 S - 64,290,000
1950 P - 272,686,386
1950 D - 334,950,000
1950 S - 118,505,000
1951 P - 295,633,500
1951 D - 625,355,000
1951 S - 136,010,000
1952 P - 186,856,980
1952 D - 746,130,000
1952 S - 137,800,004
1953 P - 256,883,800
1953 D - 700,515,000
1953 S - 181,835,000
1954 P - 71,873,350
1954 D - 251,552,500
1954 S - 96,190,000
1955 P - 330,958,000
1955 D - 563,257,200
1955 S - 44,610,000
1956 P - 421,414,384
1956 D - 1,098,201,100
1957 P - 283,787,652
1957 D - 1,051,342,000
1958 P - 253,400,652
1958 D - 800,953,300
1959 P - 610,864,291
1959 D - 1,279,760,000
1960 P - 588,096,602
1960 D - 1,580,884,000
1961 P - 756,373,244
1961 D - 1,753,266,700
1962 P - 609,263,019
1962 D - 1,793,148,400
1963 P - 757,185,645
1963 D - 1,774,020,400
1964 P - 2,652,525,762
1964 D - 3,799,071,500
1965 - 1,497,224,900
1966 - 2,188,147,783
1967 - 3,048,667,100
1968 - 1,707,880,970
1968 D - 2,886,269,600
1968 S - 261,311,510
1969 P - 1,136,910,000
1969 D - 4,002,832,200
1969 S - 547,309,631
1970 P - 1,898,315,000
1970 D - 2,891,438,900
1970 S - 693,192,814


WORLD COIN NEWS - 1 Year - $ 22.95

As of market close on July 31, 2008

American Eagle Silver Coin: $15.69
90% Silver $1,000 Face Value Bags: $9,440.00
40% Silver $1,000 Face Value Bags: $3,830.00
100-ounce Silver Bars $1,429.00

The new coin set is named the 8-8-08 Double Prosperity Set. The two coin set includes a uncirculated 1/2 half ounce 22-karat gold coin American Eagle and a 1/2 ounce 24-karat American Buffalo coin.

The prosperity set is the second minting and offering in the United States Mint Celebration Series, an experimental program to explore the demand for collector coins that are minted and packaged to celebrate special occasions and celebrating significant events.
The set priced priced at $1,298.95, will go on sale at the U.S. Mint's website on on August 1, 2008 at 12:00 Eastern Standard Time. Orders for these attractive coins may also be placed at the toll-free number, 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). There is a $4.95 shipping and handling fee on all domestic orders. There is no limit on purchases for the 8-8-08 Double Prosperity Set.

The coins both have a face value of $25.00 and are legal tender. The coins carry the W mint mark that stands for being minted at West point.

The designers of the 22-karat gold American Eagle are Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Miley Busiek. The designer of the gold American Buffalo coin is James Earle Fraser. Both coins are being released in uncirculated condition

The American Eagle gold coin obverse features Augustus Saint-Gaudens full length figure of Liberty walking with flowing hair, carrying a torch in her right hand and an olive branch in her left. The reverse design, by sculptor Miley Busiek, features a male eagle carrying an olive branch flying above the nest of his mate and her young.

The American Buffalo gold coin features the portrait of a Native American in profile on the obverse found on the very popular buffalo nickel five cent piece and the American bison, on the reverse. Noted American sculptor James Earle Fraser originally prepared both images in 1913.